Competition Description

Design Brief: Design a vehicle for Texas that could easily meet the demands of hunters and could adapt depending on the requirements of the different types of game -- white tail deer, quail, dove, and javalina to name a few. Essentially, design a base vehicle that could have various modules easily attached to it depending on the needs of the user.

Welcome to Texas, the "Lone Star" state, a territory that has been governed by six nations over the past 490 years, and has maintained a sense of independence-- Texans legally fly the state flag at the same height as the American flag -side by side. But Texans have reason to be proud-- their state is huge- 269,000 square miles, which is bigger than metropolitan France - 213,000 square miles. Yet unlike France which has a population of nearly 62 million inhabitants, Texas has a population of only about 25 million, a large number of whom live in or near the city centers of Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San-Antonio and El-Paso. The large portion of the rest of Texas has less than 10 inhabitants per square mile, meaning most of Texas is either ranch, farm land, or wilderness.

The wide open spaces of Texas are a perfect habitat for wild game;
animals and birds big and small are native to this land. There is a
connection between Texans, the wilderness and these animals.
Naturally, these descendants of frontiersman enjoy hunting for their
own food, providing for their families while enjoying the land they
love.

Hunting in Texas is extremely popular. It is not uncommon when driving down the Texas highways to pass small hunting equipment stores or  dozens of pickup trucks with coolers and other equipment in their beds, signaling that the hunt is about to begin and, if successful, will end with coolers full of fresh game to eat and freeze for later.


The hunting lodge business is a growing industry; ranchers transform part or all of their ranch into hunting grounds because it is a better way to make a living than strictly raising cattle. Hunters come from all over the world to these lodges. Most lodges have guides that drive the hunters in pickup trucks to the hunting grounds.  Hunters either hunt from a ‘blind’ which is a small, camouflaged building big enough for 1 man or, in the case of bird hunting, wherever the birds like to feed on wild grain – usually in an open field. Some lodges hand over the keys to the truck to allow the hunters the flexibility of finding their own game.

But when it comes to the vehicles used for hunting, hunters have a significant disadvantage.  The limited choice of vehicles hunters have range from the typical pick up trucks and SUVs to heavily modified, at great expense,  versions  of these same vehicles.  Typical modifications include chopping the roof off so the hunters can shoot from inside the truck, ripping out unnecessary components, adding on rifle "scabbards” , adding additional bed space and welding on roof platforms —Although the modifications are impressive, these trucks are still limited by the fact that they were based on vehicles that were never designed for the hunter. While they can navigate rough terrain, the modifications make the vehicles less rigid and heavier, resulting in poor performance greater chances of getting stuck in the Texas mud.

The interiors are made of materials that are difficult to clean, rip easily, and plastics that become brittle and break easily in the scorching Texas sun and cold winter weather. Interior storage is non-existent;controls and handles are hard to use when wearing gloves. Secure, lockable storage is a must-have of most hunters as their rifles can easily cost upwards of a few thousand dollars.

The significant modifications also mean that these vehicles are not street legal, and thus are only usable during the hunting seasons. This disadvantage is compounded by the fact that some hunters like to hunt a wide variety of game, yet a vehicle that may be ideal for bird hunting is far from being ideal for white tail dear hunting. This means that hunters, and hunting lodge owners need to have a different vehicle for each kind of hunting, an unnecessary, and very significant cost!

What if the modern hunter could have a single, all-purpose vehicle?  A Vehicle that would be easy to transform from a deer hunting vehicle with a deer blind on the roof,to an open air bird hunting vehicle.  At the same time, it would be an, easy to take care of, light utility vehicle, that with the simple addition or subtraction of different modules, could match the changing needs of the hunter on the fly.

Well, “what if” is no more, as this is your task!

The list below is a list of what Texan hunters have asked for in their vehicles – use it as your guide and include as many of the requirements as possible. Refer to the numbered picture below for a better idea of each element.

Recommended elements / Required elements:

#General
- Light weight and balanced (so it doesn't get stuck)
- Easy to clean and take care of i.e removable panels, waterproof interior etc.
- Basic, minimal and durable


#Passengers compartment - Carry 4-6 passengers, including driver
- Two bench seats made out of durable, water proof washable material
- Fold-down windshield (1)
- Collapsible roof
- Rhino Lined or other durable coating on the interior floor,dash board, and maybe even the exterior (2)
- First Aid Kit
- Cup holder


#Storage
- Lockable cargo area for guns and other valuable items (3)
- Location for two or more coolers to carry freshly hunted game: deer, javalina, doves, quail etc... (5)

- Rifle scabbard attachment points (4)
- Cargo space on the back to carry gear, dead deer, smelly dogs
- Compartments, near the passengers, for ammo and other items
- Lots of storage and cubby space to keep tools, flashlights, and other necessary items (saws, knives, first aid kits etc.)
- If truck has a bed, maximize the utility of the bed. i.e. all 3 sides could  be able to fold down for easier access, loading, and utility (instant flatbed truck-- easy to load). If bed sides are not foldable, consider additional storage compartments within bed sides (6)


#Accessories
- Front-end winch (7)
- Back-end winch (7)
- Ability to have a roof rack on it when roof is up (8)
- Fenders that protect against dirt and dust -- i.e. inboard wheels and wide fenders (9)
- Compartment for one of the cigarette lighter powered tire pumps--- flats DO happen, and re-inflation is a must (10)
- Front brush guard/ bull bar. These are a necessity to keep drivers safe from deer -- accidents with deer is a common occurrence in Texas (11)
- Side steps to help users get in truck cab
- Bed steps to help get in bed
- Versatile receiver hitch for accessories, extra cargo carrying capacity, and for towing small, light things (12)


#Drivetrain & technical information
- 4 wheel drive
- Quiet running
- Either a 4 or 6 cylinder engine (more than 6 is too heavy and too powerful)
- Simple engine, easy to fix, cheap to maintain
- Good ground clearance - More than 10"
- 4 wheel independent suspension for better handling
- Headlight vertical distance from ground to center line of light not less than 22 inches (559 mm) or more than 54 inches (1372 mm)
- Tail lamp vertical distance from ground to centerline of light not less than 15 inches (381 mm), or more than 72 inches (1828 mm)
- Turn Signal lamp vertical distance from ground to centerline of light not less than 15 inches (381 mm)

This list should guide you through your design process. Pleas pay
close attention to the engineering requirements (Highlighted in Red)

Package Requirements

As the Texas Motors vehicle has many requirements and recommendations, we encourage you to create a side view package drawing, which will be required in your final presentation. This will help other viewers understand how everything fits in or on your vehicles design.  You will find drawings in the ignition kit to help you get an idea of how large the elements are compared to the average human. In addition we have included a photoshop Oscar in which each element of the Oscar is on a separate layer, so you can position the Oscar however you please. We recommend you use the Oscar as it will help you maintain the correct sense of proportions.

Using Checkup

Do you have questions, or want feedback on your Texas Motors design prior to submitting it? The use of the checkup feature has become very popular and we highly recommend using the checkup feature to get the feedback you seek before the final submission deadline. Over 75% of winners used the checkup feature in the past and were able to work community feedback into their design before the final submission. This is your place to submit your first idea and improve it, and post updated designs that will gain much more exposure than and updated design in the small comments on the competition page. The Local Motors Team monitors the website very closely and thus knows which designs/ concepts belong to which community members, so posting your idea early is not giving away your ideas; instead it is allowing other members to help you improve your design -- in other words, you have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain by using the checkup feature.

Even though hunting season just ended in Texas a few days ago, the hunters are already preparing themselves for the next season. So what are you waiting for? Grab your pens, this is just the beginning for Texas Motors!